Governor clutch mechanism



Juhe 11, 1946. Q SPRINGHQRN 2,401,982

GOVERNOR CLUTCH MECHANISM Filed Jan. 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N V EN TOR.

ZazZes vryy 017 Jim y- June 11, 1946. c. SPRINGHORN GOVERNOR CLUTCH MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1945 INVENTOR. Wazlea 6:35am

J or/g gw Patented June 11, 1946 GOVERNOR CLUTCH LIECHANISM Charles Springhorn, Orange, N. J., assignor to Metal Textile Corporation, West Orange, N. 1., a corporation of Delaware Application January 24, 1945, Serial No. 574,361

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in g'overnor clutch mechanism adapted for various uses, but especially effective for actuating and controlling the operation of winding reels, spools and the like.

In winding wire, yarn, thread or other filamentary material onto reels, spools or the like, especially when the filament is under tension, undue acceleration or over-running of the reel, spool or the like is likely to part the filament, thus not only interrupting the winding operation, but also requiring objectionable and sometimes prohibitive tying, splicing or knotting of the filament.

Having this in view, it is an object of this invention to provide novel means for transmitting winding power to a reel, spool or the like, which means includes a combined governing clutch and braking mechanism adapted to control the winding speed of the reel, spool or the like whereby to prevent undue acceleration or over-running thereof, which mechanism is itself automatically controlled by the tension of the filament moving toward the reel, spool or the like to be wound thereon.

A more specificbbject of the invention is to provide a novel governor clutch mechanism of the kind stated for controlling the winding speed of a reel, spool or the like upon which wire issuing from flattening rolls is to be wound, whereby the tension of the flattened wire, moving between the flattening rolls and reel, spool or the like, is applied to a lever system by which the clutch and brake means of said governor clutch mechanism is automaticallyxoperated.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings-in which:

Fig. l is an elevational view of the governor clutch mechanism according to this invention as related to a pair of wire flattening rolls from which issues flattened wire to be wound on a reel or spool controlled by said mechanism; Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the same as viewed from the right in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the combined clutch and brake means of the mechanism, this view being drawn on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character Ill indicates a driven shaft for rotating a reel or spool whereby to wind the'reon a filament led thereto. Any suitable means may be provided for detachably afilxing said reel or spool II to an end of said drive shaft. Said driven shaft i0 is Journaled in suitable supporting bearings,such e. g. as the bearing pedestals l2 and I3. In the illustrative embodiment of this invention as shown, the reel or spool ii and its driving and control mechanism is located to suitably dispose the reel or spool for reception of a wire filament issuing from a pair of suitably driven flattening rolls ||5, whereby the round wire passed between the latter rolls and flattened thereby may be wound onto said reel or spool.

The governor clutch mechanism for controlling the winding speed of the reel or spool I| comprises a, driving pulley I6 or the like to which power may be suitably transmitted from a source thereof. Said driving pulley I 6 is loosely mounted on the driven shaft In so as to turn freely thereon. Said driving pulley is also suitably backed against longitudinal displacement on said driven shaft l0, and for this purpose, as shown, its hub I1 thrusts against the bearlngpedestal 2, and is preferably supported by a thrust bearing l8 of an anti-friction type. It is also preferable to provide anti-friction bearings I9 between the driving pulley and the driven shaft. Afllxed to the exposed face of said driving pulley I6 is a clutch facing 20 of suitable frictional material.

Mounted on the driven shaft I0, adjacent to the exposed face of the driving pulley I6, is a sleeve 2|. Said sleeve 2| is keyed to the driven shaft III by a key or spline 22 so that it turns with the shaft, but is nevertheless free to shift longitudinally thereon. Said sleeve 2| is provided at one end with an annular clutch disc 23 to oppose and engage the clutch facing 20 of the driving pulley l6. At its opposite end, said sleeve 2| is provided with an annular brake disc 24. Fixed on the driven shaft l0, beyond and spaced from said sleeve 2|, is a stop or fixed thrust collar 25. Arranged around the driven shaft l0, between said collar 25 and the end of the sleeve 2| opposed thereto, is a compression spring 26. This spring 26 urges the sleeve 2| toward the driving pulley l6, whereby to normally thrust the clutch disc 23 into clutching frictional engagement with the clutch facing 20 of the driving pulley, and thus to normally clutch the sleeve to the driving pulley, so that driving torque is applied therethrough to 3 the driven shaft l and ,thus to the reel or spool ll mounted on said shaft.

Fulcrumed by a pivoting stud 21 on' a stationary support 28 which is adjacently disposed relative to the sleeve 2| is a bell-crank lever 29 provided with a horizontal arm 30 and a vertical arm 3|.

Said vertical arm 3| terminates in a fork section,

- the arms 32 of which straddle said sleeve 2| inshaft 35 is an upwardly inclined lever arm 31,

upon the free end portion of which is mounted a wire guide roller 38. The flattened wire W issuing from the flattening rollers I4-|5 is led to and passes over said wire guide roller 38, passing thence to the reel or spool I l. Aflixed to the opposite end of said rock-shaft 35 is a downwardly inclined lever arm 39, the free end portion of which is connected to the free end portion of the horizontal arm 30 of the bell-crank lever 29 by a link All.

In operation, power is transmitted to the driving pulley l6. Normally, the compression spring 26 thrusts the sleeve 22 toward the rotating driving pulley i6 so that its clutch disc 23 is forced into frictionally clutched engagement with the clutch facing 20 of said driving pulley, and consequently the sleeve 22 is caused to rotate with the latter. Said sleeve 22 being keyed to the driven shaft l0, rotation of the former is transmitted to the latter, and the reel or spool H is rotated to wind thereon the wire W as it issues from the flattening rolls l4-l5. During such operation should the speed of the reel or spool ll unduly accelerate or tend to over-run the-:'

speed at which the wire W issues from said fiattening rolls, the increased tension of that section of the wire W which is looped over the wire guide roller 38 exerts a downward pull upon the lever arm 31 whereby to rock the rock shaft 35 and thus up-swing the lever arm 39. Such rip-swinging of the lever arm 39 is transmitted through the link 40 to the bell-crank lever 29 so a to turn the same anti-clockwise about its pivotal support 21. Said movement of the bell-crank lever moves the brake shoes 33 into engagement with the brake-disc 24, whereby to both thrust back the sleeve 22 against the tension of the compression spring 26 and thereby release the clutch-disc-23 from normal clutched engagement with the driving pulley l6, while at the same time exerting a. frictional braking drag of said brakeshoes 33 upon the brake disc 24. As a consequence of this,

4 26 is again permitted to exert forward thrust upon the sleeve 22, to again return the clutch disc 23 to clutched relation to the driving pulley I3, while at the same time relaxing the braking effect of the brake shoes 33 and returning the bell-crank lever 29 and the lever system 88-49 to normal positions. Upon such occurrence the driven shaft in andthe reel or spool II are again subjected to driving torque for continuing the winding of the wire W onto the reel 01' spool H.

.The described cycle of operations is constantly repetitive and is automatic, and consequently precise and effective control is .exercised upon the winding action of the reel or spool l I throughout the wire winding operation thereof.

While I have shown and described the novel governor clutch mechanism as specifically applied to winding mechanism, it will be obvious that it may be used in other types of apparatus wherein a constant and automatic control of applied power and speed is desirable.

I am aware that some changes could be made in the above described constructions, and that widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the herefollowing claims.

It is therefore intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A governor clutch mechanism comprising a driven shaft, a driving pulley freely rotatable on the driven shaft I0 is released from the driving torque of said driving pulley l8, and simultane-' ously the rotative speed of the driven shaft l0 and the reel or spool H mounted thereon is quickly retarded, and the tension on the wire W is conshiftable on said shaft adjacent to said driving pulley, said member having a clutch disc at the end thereof opposed to said driving pulley and 'a brake disc at its other. end, compression spring means to urge said member toward said driving pulley whereby to normally engage its clutch disc in clutched relation to the latter, and a pivoted lever means provided with brake shoe means to oppose the inner face of said brake disc, said lever means being operable to thrust said brake shoe means into braking engagement with said brake disc and simultaneously move said member against the tension of said compression spring so as to release said clutch disc from clutched engagement with said driving pulley.

2. A governor clutch mechanism comprising a driven shaft, a driving pulley freely rotatable on said shaft, a member keyed to but longitudinally shiftable on said shaft adjacent to said driving pulley, said member having a clutch disc at the 1 end thereof opposed to said driving pulley and a brake disc at its other end, compression spring means to urge said member, toward said driving, pulley whereby to normally engage its clutch disc in clutched relation to the latter, a pivoted lever said brake disc and simultaneously move said member against the tension of said compression spring so as to release safid clutch disc from clutched engagement with said driving pulley.

CHARLES SPRINGHORN. 

